sugna Posted January 22, 2021 Share Posted January 22, 2021 2 hours ago, Deanburn Dave said: Agree it's a female blackcap . That picture is definitely a female blackcap - but I think that it's only been posted to illustrate the suggestion. I don't think it is "the spotted bird". 5 hours ago, MixuFruit said: Spotted my first ever Scottish nuthatch today! No photos sadly, I seem to be living right around the current northern extent: I'm not sure where you are, but in the last couple of years we've started seeing them regularly in and around Edinburgh. Their numbers increased by over 5000% between the last two full surveys (from memory - they were certainly miles in the lead!). We saw our first Scottish one near Dryburgh in February 2019; I've seen them on 4 walks in the last 3 weeks. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugna Posted January 23, 2021 Share Posted January 23, 2021 Lived in Sauchie for 18 years without seeing one - or at least without clocking that I'd seen one, as I wouldn't have known a nuthatch from a treecreeper back then. One of the staff at the Gartmorn Dam centre told me years ago that they get "a lot of birds, coming down off the hills". He particularly mentioned green woodpeckers - another bird I've never seen in Clacks. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamamafegan Posted January 23, 2021 Share Posted January 23, 2021 Saw my first Scottish nuthatch a couple of years ago in Pitlochry. Plenty of them there. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillonearth Posted January 23, 2021 Share Posted January 23, 2021 14 hours ago, sugna said: That picture is definitely a female blackcap - but I think that it's only been posted to illustrate the suggestion. I don't think it is "the spotted bird". I'm not sure where you are, but in the last couple of years we've started seeing them regularly in and around Edinburgh. Their numbers increased by over 5000% between the last two full surveys (from memory - they were certainly miles in the lead!). We saw our first Scottish one near Dryburgh in February 2019; I've seen them on 4 walks in the last 3 weeks. It's been bizarre how quickly and thoroughly they've colonised the central belt - I know the SOC Clyde Area bird recorder who was trying to document their spread was getting frustrated because no-one was reporting them anymore. I reckon the reason is that they're now at a stage where you don't really think of them as rare or unusual. I remember being quite excited when I heard the first one in the woods at the bottom of my garden maybe four or five years ago, but now I'd put them in the same category as GSW or the like...you maybe don't see them every day, but they're there and you do see them fairly regularly. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fife Saint Posted January 23, 2021 Share Posted January 23, 2021 Where did you see this? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Offside Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 On 23/01/2021 at 21:48, Fife Saint said: On 18/01/2021 at 13:14, Myles Offside said: Where did you see this? I live in Brisbane, spotted this one on a walk beside the local creek. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Offside Posted January 29, 2021 Share Posted January 29, 2021 Red browed finch, aka red browed firetail 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeWhoWalksBehindTheRows Posted January 29, 2021 Share Posted January 29, 2021 Some cracking birds on the site I'm working at just now but been unable to photograph any so far. In the last week have seen a barn owl, tree creeper, woodpecker, a group of 6 Jays plus a host of other normal garden birds. Also a pine martin and red squirrels 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigmouth Strikes Again Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 Just showed up recently, some kind of thrush? v aggressive towards smaller birds. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stanton Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 16 minutes ago, Bigmouth Strikes Again said: Just showed up recently, some kind of thrush? v aggressive towards smaller birds. Mistle Thrush I think. According to my book on garden birds they are known to be defensive towards their territory 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigmouth Strikes Again Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 2 minutes ago, stanton said: Mistle Thrush I think. According to my book on garden birds they are known to be defensive towards their territory Quite rare? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stanton Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 2 minutes ago, Bigmouth Strikes Again said: Quite rare? Possibly at this time of year info says it usually winters in Southern and Western Europe, but that book is wee bit old now 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigmouth Strikes Again Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 6 minutes ago, stanton said: Possibly at this time of year info says it usually winters in Southern and Western Europe, but that book is wee bit old now Cheers, it makes a weird noise as well, like a football rattle. There's a rowan tree in the neighbours garden, it's guarding it and scoffing the berries. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stanton Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 10 hours ago, Bigmouth Strikes Again said: Cheers, it makes a weird noise as well, like a football rattle. There's a rowan tree in the neighbours garden, it's guarding it and scoffing the berries. Call described as a " Hard grating trrrrrrrrrrrr " with long pauses in between , found in open woodlands, parks and gardens with trees Known to defend berried trees and bushes 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamthebam Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 13 hours ago, Bigmouth Strikes Again said: Quite rare? It'll be quite rare if the Smudger clocks it... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigmouth Strikes Again Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 1 hour ago, tamthebam said: It'll be quite rare if the Smudger clocks it... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mantis Posted February 1, 2021 Share Posted February 1, 2021 Had a wee wander yesterday and found a Treecreeper. The first shot is him flying away just as I pressed the shutter, not my fault I would say, they're just very flighty. Came back soon after, to a closer tree. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugna Posted February 1, 2021 Share Posted February 1, 2021 1 hour ago, The Mantis said: Excellent. I had a (relatively) prolonged view of one from no more than 4 yards away last Friday. Camera ready, best lens fitted, all I had to do was stay calm, focus and snap off a few shots. Complete Hibsed it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugna Posted February 1, 2021 Share Posted February 1, 2021 On 30/01/2021 at 22:45, Bigmouth Strikes Again said: Cheers, it makes a weird noise as well, like a football rattle. There's a rowan tree in the neighbours garden, it's guarding it and scoffing the berries. It looks like a mistle thrush, sounds like a mistle thrush, eats like a mistle thrush and behaves like a mistle thrush. Our neighbour has a rowan, and there's a mistle thrush that's been working it for the last few weeks. Football rattle call, chasing off a woodpigeon, very mistle-thrushy. Also managed to get some decent sightings of these birds in our local woods: one was nearby, a little low light; the other was very well lit, near the top of a tree. One day I'll get proximity and light together. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mantis Posted February 1, 2021 Share Posted February 1, 2021 16 minutes ago, sugna said: Excellent. I had a (relatively) prolonged view of one from no more than 4 yards away last Friday. Camera ready, best lens fitted, all I had to do was stay calm, focus and snap off a few shots. Complete Hibsed it. Happens all the time. I’ve built up an album of wildlife shots on the computer but there’s always that next species you want to get. It used to be Herons but now I hardly look at a Heron unless they’ve got prey, they’re ten a penny. I had never seen a fox in my life except one raking bins at night, then this winter I’ve had 3 fox encounters and the 3rd one got me some great shots (one on the photography thread). Treecreepers are one where I’ve had very little luck, the wife sees them first then they scuttle away up the tree. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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